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From trout swimming in sparkling streams, to lunker bass lurking in piedmont lakes and red drum cruising Atlantic beaches, North Carolina has such an incredible variety of fishing opportunities it’s hard to decide what to catch. To help you make up your mind, here are some suggestions.

JANUARY
Kerr Lake – Striped Bass
Kerr Lake is one of the top striper fishing lakes in the state. Most striper fishermen catch shad with cast nets for use as live striper baits. Live shad are drifted or trolled on weightless lines, lead-core lines and weighted lines. Side planers are used to spread the baits across as much water as possible while trolling.

An electronic depthfinder is important for locating the baitfish schools and striped bass feeding on them. Once the proper depth is found by using a depthfinder, the depth of the live baits is adjusted accordingly.

Another way to catch striped bass is by trolling with deep-diving plugs along the channel edges and points. Once a school is located, a metal jigging spoon, bucktail jig or jig with a plastic trailer will catch the fish.

For more information, call Ramrod’s Guide Service, (252) 492-7793.

FEBRUARY
Neuse River – Speckled Trout
The Neuse River near New Bern is a vast body of water in which to try to find a speckled trout. While the banks look the same, subtle changes attract specks. A steep drop-off of less than two feet can hold lots of specks. Any boat dock, seawall, mud bank or stumpy point could hold fish.

Anglers use trolling motors to cruise the shoreline of the river and back in the creeks. Any disturbance of the water is either a baitfish or shrimp or a speck feeding, so anglers should be on the lookout for these telltale signs.

Scented soft plastic lures rigged on jig heads are the best bets. They should be cast and allowed to settle slowly to the bottom. The lure is then jigged and allowed to fall repeatedly all the way back to the boat.

For more information, contact Down East Guide Service at (252) 671-3474.

MARCH
Lake Lucas – Largemouth Bass
Little Lake Lucas, which is a water supply lake for the Asheboro, is among the best lakes in the state for producing big largemouth bass. Horsepower restrictions keep anglers with big bass boats away. A lack of shoreline development keeps the shoreline pristine, but bass congregate in the backs of the creeks, on the rocky points and at the blowdowns.

Boat rentals are available, so anglers without boats can get in on the action. Live minnows are one of the best baits for big Lucas lunkers. But crankbaits and spinnerbaits are also good bets for March fishing. Inline spinners such as Mepps squirrel tail spinners, work extremely well in Lake Lucas.

Shallow running stickbaits are also good bets for Lake Lucas largemouth. They can be cast and retrieved with steady reeling or retrieved with twitches, allowing the lure to rise to the surface before reeling again. Warmer days are the best bets for twitch fishing along the sunlit banks.

For more information, visit www.asheboroparksandrecreation.com.

APRIL
Randleman Lake – Largemouth Bass
After filling for three years, Lake Randleman opened for fishing in 2010. The 3,007-acre lake has not been a disappointment, producing lots of big largemouth bass. Some really great catches occurred last April during the spawning period.

The lake has lots of standing timber. Anglers fish soft plastics among the drowned tree skeletons. The rocky points also offer good bass structure. But by April the best fishing is back up the numerous creeks. The lake is fairly clear, so anglers can spot bedding bass. A soft crawfish or lizard lure cast into a bed will be attacked.

Schooling bass show on top near the dam and at the bridges. To catch schooling bass, anglers cast topwater poppers and spoons.

There are many special rules that apply to fishing at Lake Randleman. Anglers should visit the website at www.ptwra.org for more information.

MAY
Roanoke River – Striped Bass
The striper fishing on the Roanoke River is unrivalled. The fish enter the river in April and remain until June. The river has restrictions requiring single-hook, barbless lures and hooks on certain sections and an open season for striped bass. Anglers should check the regulations carefully before fishing.

Roanoke stripers grow big, with some topping 50 pounds. But there are myriad smaller fish. Anglers with sufficient stamina can catch and release 100 stripers a day during the peak of the spawning run.

For smaller stripers, anything goes. Live shiners, jigs, flies, spoons, diving lures and topwater lures all work well. But for the biggest fish, live baits are the ticket. Striper anglers fill their live wells with shad baits caught from upstream lakes. Frozen or dead shad also work well.

The Roanoke is rocky above Weldon, so anglers without jet drive outboards fish that section. The weekends get crowded. But downstream, other places near the head of Albemarle Sound such as Plymouth also provide access to good striper fishing. Fishing the lower river with jigs, soft plastics and by trolling deep diving lures is a great way to get in on Roanoke striper action away from the crowds.

For more information, call Tommy Hughes, High Water Mark Guide Service, (252) 670-9929.

JUNE
Lake Phelps – Largemouth Bass
Lake Phelps is one of the most beautiful natural lakes in the state. Its firm sandy bottom creates excellent footing for wade fishing and the water is so clear, anglers can see the lake’s legendary largemouth bass.

Bass structure includes grass and pads. But the shoreline also has a few cypress trees and boat docks. The shallow lake is perfect for fishing with topwater lures. Walk-the-dog lures are excellent choices. They should be fished in the openings and along the edges of the pad beds and grass beds.

Lake Phelps is the best lake in the state for catch
ing largemouth bass with a fly rod. A popping bug is the best fly.

Anglers can launch johnboats and bass boats at Pettigrew State Park. Fishing from a boat is productive, but the boat can also be used to get to the grass beds, with anglers hopping out to wade.

For more information about Pettigrew State Park, visit www.ncparks.gov or call Conman’s Guide Service and Vacation Cottages at (800) 668-7124.